Capitol Confidential

Joyce Mitchell made her case for parole on June 4 at the women's prison in Bedford Hills. The former Clinton Correctional employee has been incarcerated for nearly four years due to her role in aiding a high-profile prison escape in 2015. Following the hearing, Mitchell was denied parole. The Times Union has turned excerpts of the transcript from the hearing into a bonus episode, with editors Susan Mehalick and Sara Tracey lending their voices.

For about a decade, reporters in Albany would take their Monday morning cues from Ken Lovett's weekly column, which would be filled with state government scoops. This past February, the veteran reporter retired from journalism on his own terms after 25 years of Capitol coverage. Lovett joined the podcast to talk about his time with the state's two prolific tabloids: the New York Post and Daily News. The conversation addressed his approach to reporting, the pressure to break news and occasions when his work took him out of Albany.

Assemblywoman Amy Paulin is one of the busiest lawmakers in Albany, where she routinely shepherds the most bills through the legislative process. She joined the Capitol Confidential podcast to explain her approach, and how it has evolved since joining the Assembly nearly two decades ago. The conversation also touched on how she finds sponsors for legislation in the state Senate, her affinity for policy details and what's on tap for next year's session. She also explained the challenge of getting a bill through the Assembly that would legalize paid surrogacy.

It's a time of transition for the New York Racing Association. This includes a new leader, David O'Rourke, who is steering the organization through an evolving gambling landscape, major changes at their tracks and concerns about equine safety. He joined the Capitol Confidential podcast to talk about all this, and much more, including the legacy he hopes to leave. Editor's note: This interview is also featured on New York Now

In the waning days of the legislative session, state lawmakers and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo agreed to ambitious energy and emissions goals to help combat climate change. And while it's clear where New York needs to end up, it's not so clear how we'll get there. Business Council of New York's director of government affairs Darren Suarez and New York League of Conservation Voters President Julie Tighe joined the podcast to highlight the potential paths New Yorkers might follow, and how it will change life as we know it.

Legalizing marijuana in New York hasn't been as easy as expected after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo threw his weight behind the idea. The fate of legislation creating a framework for recreational use is unclear as state lawmakers prepare to make their exit for the year from the Capitol. This uphill battle isn't a surprise to the Rockefeller Institute's Heather Trela, who recently completed a report on the structural challenges in adopting marijuana legalization through the legislative process. She joined the podcast to walk the listener through her findings, and examine the different results in Illinois, Vermont and New York (so far).

It took one month in 2009 for order to be restored in the state Senate following an attempted power grab that upset the status quo in the chamber. But the ramifications, which are covered on the final installment of the Times Union's "Tales from the Coup" podcast series, would shape the immediate future of the Senate and have effects that remain for the new Democratic majority. The episode follows the demise of the two renegade Democratic senators who plotted with GOP senators and examines how the rise of the Independent Democratic Conference in 2011 was informed by the chaos in the chamber during the preceding years.

This bonus episode explores how the "Tales from the Coup" series came together. Times Union managing editor Casey Seiler talked with podcast host David Lombardo about his interest in the "Senate Coup," wrangling guests and bringing it all together. The conversation explains how Sen. Diane Savino got involved, the editing process, and what's next for the Capitol Confidential podcast.

A constitutionally questionable appointment and some cold feed ended the summer stalemate at the Capitol in 2009. One month after defecting to the Republicans, Sen. Pedro Espada rejoined the Democrats, restoring their majority in the chamber. This installment of the "Tales from the Coup" series examines the bold step Gov. David Paterson made to end the impasse, negotiations to create a power-sharing agreement in the Senate and the return of the prodigal senator. New episodes of the Capitol Confidential podcast are released on Fridays.  

The chaos that occurred on June 8, 2009 – when Senate Republicans, along with two wayward Democrats, attempted to take control of the chamber – was just an appetizer for what would come the following month. This installment of the "Tales from the Coup" series details the madness that unfolded in Albany that summer, as power in the chamber was up for grabs and the state government came to a halt. The episode covers the constant barrage of meaningless senate sessions, the ouster of a legislative leader and repeated failures to cobble together a majority in the senate.     

June 8, 2009 was supposed to be a quiet day in the state Senate. But the plans of the Democratic majority were quickly upended when Senate Republicans initiated a procedural power grab to take back control of the chamber they had run for decades. This tumultuous day in New York history is the focus for the latest installment of the "Tales from the Coup" podcast series. The episode explores how the procedural gambit worked, highlights the action on the floor of the Senate and reveals how lawmakers, reporters and Albany insiders responded to the chaos.

Senate Democrats didn't realize they had defectors in their ranks in 2009 until it was too late. For months leading up to the coup, political operatives met in secret - including across the street from the governor's mansion - to develop their plot. When the plan was implemented it caught all of Albany off guard, an impressive feat in a town known for its leaks. The third installment of the Capitol Confidential podcast's "Tales from the Coup" series explores the behind-the-scenes events that led to the coup, with a focus on the Rochester billionaire who got fed up with the Senate Democrats, the meticulous and secret scheming of the Senate GOP and the motivations of the two wayward senators. The episode features interviews with former Gov. David Paterson, New York Times Reporter Nick Confessore and Sen. Diane Savino, a Staten Island Democrat. The show is available online at Capitol Confidential or wherever people download podcasts — including iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or TuneIn. New episodes of the seri

Progressive activists in New York frustrated by the pace of change during this year's legislative session, would have been sorely disappointed by the progress made 10 years earlier in Albany. Heading into the 2009, there was an expectation that with Democrats controlling all the levers of state government, a liberal wish list - long bottled up by Republican control of the state Senate - would be easy to accomplish at the Capitol. But the legislative session would be anything but easy for Democratic lawmakers and Gov. David Paterson, as they wrestled with a multi-billion dollar deficit, a bailout for public transit system in New York City, and a Senate majority that was rarely on the same page. This journey is the subject of the second episode of Times Union's podcast series diving into the "Senate Coup" of 2009, which brought state government to a halt. New episodes will be available every Friday and a live forum commemorating the 10th anniversary of the coup will be held at the Hearst Media Center in Co

The "Senate Coup" of 2009 caught Albany by surprise, but the writing was on the wall months earlier after Senate Democrats first secured their slim majority. This first episode of Capitol Confidential's "Tales from the Coup" series focuses on the leadership battle after the 2008 election and how it signaled the stalemate that was coming. The podcast will introduce the "Four Amigos," highlight the political rise of Malcolm Smith and explain the deal that was struck to hold the Democratic conference together. New episodes will be available every Friday and a live forum commemorating the 10th anniversary of the coup will be held at the Hearst Media Center in Colonie on May 7.    

For the 10-year anniversary of the Senate Coup, the Capitol Confidential podcast is doing a deep dive into the players and politics that shaped this historic struggle for power in Albany. This multi-episode journey will unearth buried memories, shine a light on all the plot twists and explore the ramifications for the past decade, as we hear from the lawmakers, reporters and staffers who survived the tumultuous summer of 2009. The leadership battle will also be the focus of a live forum at the Hearst Media Center in Colonie on May 7. The first episode will be available April 26 and listeners should subscribe to Capitol Confidential wherever they get podcasts so they don't miss out on this trip down memory lane.    

It was a little more than 12 years ago that Tom DiNapoli, then a member of the state Assembly, was tapped by his legislative colleagues to become the next state comptroller. The Long Island Democrat has since won three elections to the post and is planning on running again in 2022. DiNapoli joined the podcast to talk about his elevation in 2007, the controversy surrounding his selection and his flirtation with a run for lieutenant governor. The interview also explored his re-election bid and thoughts on the process for filling vacancies in the state attorney general and comptroller jobs.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is known for bold and progressive rhetoric addressing climate change, and this year's talking points were backed up by new language in the state budget. Environmental Advocates of New York Executive Director Peter Iwanowicz joined the Capitol Confidential podcast to discuss the governor's rhetorical commitment to the "Green New Deal," as well as the substantive plan to get New York on “100 percent clean power by 2040." The conversation also addressed climate change legislation making its way through the Capitol.

A president from the Capital Region. That's the promise embodied in U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's run for the White House. The Democratic contender has deep roots to the region, including her grandmother's role in Albany's political machine, and she calls Rensselaer County home today. Gillibrand joined the Capitol Confidential podcast to talk with Times Union reporter Rachel Silberstein about serving the area in Congress, her political evolution, and much more. An even deeper dive into her formative years was the focus of a recent Times Union profile, and a look into her rise in politics in print on Sunday.

State lawmakers on this week adopted the first major batch of gun-control measures in New York since the SAFE Act of 2013, and pledged they won't wait another six years before revisiting state firearm laws. The package of bills would enable New Yorkers to seek a court order to temporarily remove guns from people who are deemed a danger to themselves or others, ban bump stocks, prohibit teachers from being armed in schools, establish a fund and guidance for local gun buyback programs, and extend the period for completion of background checks to 30 days. While Democrats and gun control advocates were celebrating, most Republican lawmakers found themselves on the opposing side of the issue. To explain their position, the podcast turned to GOP senators Patrick Gallivan and Daphne Jordan.

New York is poised to adopt adult-use marijuana in a few months, as lawmakers appear to be on board and Gov. Andrew Cuomo included a regulatory framework in his state budget. As the state heads into these uncharted waters, the Capitol Confidential podcast turned to Weedmaps President Christopher Beals for guidance. The episode explored what makes a successful marijuana market, examined different tax structures and revealed what consumers in New York might be able to expect with legalization. The conversation also highlighted how Weedmaps, known as the Yelp of the pot world, might be utilized by New Yorkers in the future.